Artificial teeth



April 7, 1931. D. PICKERING ARTIFICIAL TEETH Filed Jan. 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 dtimmq April 1931. L. D. PICKERING 1,799,316

ARTIFICIAL TEETH Filed Jan. 18, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dtl'or mu:

Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE LAFAYETTE D. PIGKERING, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE COLUMBUS DENTAL MANUFACTURING COMYANY, OF COLUMBUS, OI'IIO, A CORPORATION ARTIFICIAL TEETH Application fi ledifi'anuary 18, 1930. Serial No. 421,764.

vice on the support andthe recess in the tooth is exposed to the secretions of the mouth; AL though this joint is commonly filled with cement when a dental bridge is completed and anchored in a patients mouth, yet in the course of time the cement has a tendency to disintegrate in the saliva thus affording an objectionable harbor for bacteria and small particles of food. Those persons familiar with the art understand that micro-organisms which gather in these harbors are constantly of more or less danger to the health of the individual. Further, the small particles of food that gather in these tiny recesses afford a good media in which the bacteria may grow and multiply.

Further, exposed joints are sometimes objectionable, particularly to highly sensitive people, in that the tongue frequently comes in contact with the exposed j oint and unless the joint is sutficiently accurate in its fitting of parts and the general surface contour substantially even and continuous the nervous system of the user becomes disturbed. This is particularly true where cements have disintegrated in the secretions of the mouth to the extent that open joints present uneven and broken contours to the tongue. In such instances the user sometimes becomes so disturbeol over the condition that it is necessary to remove the bridge and supplant it with a new structure. This represents loss of time and money. to. both the dentist and the patient. I

The object of my invention is to provide an interchangeable tooth with integral root, and a backing or support which will present a smooth lingual face. In the past it has been common for post holes and grooves to enter the porcelain tooth from the lingual side and .in contact with the porcelain. bearing face 10 extending from side-to side when assembled and functioning in combination with a metal backing the orifice of these retentlve grooves, or post holes, is directly exposed to the action of the salvia. In my invention I propose to so position the post hole and retentive grooves that the backing completely covers and seals them so that they are not directly exposed to the oral secretions.

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved tooth with full contour backing applied.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the tooth with the backing removed.

Figure 3 is a lingual elevation of F igure-Q.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the backing. Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 except that the post and its hole are inclined to the long axis of the tooth.

Figure 6 is a sideelevation of the tooth with the backing removed.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of. a posterior tooth embodying my invention.

Figure 8 isa vertical section of Figure with a full contour backing attached.

F i ure 9 is a side elevation view of the backing, the dotted lines showing angular changes of planes in which the apron of the backing may be set.

I The reference numeral 5 designates the tooth body having an integral root section 6,

there being a'lingual overhang portion 7, the occlusal end of which is provided with twov flat and comparatively broad bearing faces or seats8 and 9 formed in diii'e'rent a planes extending at a substantial angle to the long axis of the tooth, asclearly shown 1 in Figure 2. The seat 8 is slightly incline-:1

toward the gingival end of the tooth to facilitate the removal of the'toothit'rom the baclz- .x

ing or support. Both of these faces 8 and 9 1' are, when the tooth is mounted in its support below the point ofcontact between the gum and the tooth so that'the gum is only of the tooth extends from the seat 8 to the seat 9, and is intersected with a mortise 11 extending labially into the'ttooth body beyond the labial end. of the seat 9, said'mortise being A seat or opened to the seat 9 by means of a slot 12 of less diameter than the mortise.

The backing or support 13 engages the bearing face 14 of the tooth, and is provided at its gingival end with a broad fiat support 17 which is designed to extend from side to side of the tooth and engage the bearing face 9 of the tooth, said support 17 being provided with a web 15 and a post 16 both extending gingivally from the support 17 as clearly shown in Figure 1.

From the above it will be seen that the tooth and backing have complemental bearing surfaces, and that the two flat comparatively broad bearing faces 8 and 9 afford a maximum support for the tooth disposed transversely of the tooth to protect the porcelain tooth structure not only against stresses in the direction of the long axis of the tooth, but these broad fiat bearing faces support the tooth against twisting strains and stresses, while the post 16 and web 15 hold the tooth against rotation and to the backing.

It will be noted in Figures 5 and (3 that the post hole 1-1 and planes 8 and '9 of the tooth are inclined to the long axis of the tooth. The plane 8 being given a greater inclination in this embodiment than is shown in Figures 1 and 2.

In Figures 7 and 8 I have shown my inven" tion embodied in a posterior tooth and for convenience of reading the drawings I have used the same reference numerals that are used on the other figures of the drawings as the planes and bearings and construction of these are substantially the same in both anterior and posterior teeth, from which it will be understood that my invention comprehcnds anterior and posteriorteeth.

In the claims the term body is to be understood as including an anterior and a posterior tooth.

hat I claim is:

1. An artificial tooth comprising an integral porcelain body, a root and a lingual overhang portion, two bearing faces on the occlusal end of the overhang portion in different horizontal planes extending at substantially right angles to the long axis of the tooth, a mortise intersecting the overhang portion between said faces and extending labially into the body.

2. An artificial tooth comprising an integral porcelain body, a root and a lingual overhang portion, two bearing faces on the occlusal end of the overhang portion in different horizontal planes extending at substantially right angles to the long axis of the tooth, a mortise intersecting the overhang portion between said faces and extending la-bially into the body, and a slot opening said mortise to the plane of one of said bearing faces.

3. An artificial tooth eompi-is'ingan i'ntegral porcelain body, a root and a lingual overhang portion, two bearing faces on the occlusal end of the overhang portion in different horizontal planes extending at substantially right angles to the long axis of the tooth, a mortise intersecting the overhang portion between said faces and extending labially into the body, and a slot of less diameter than the mortise opening said mortise to the plane of one of said faces.

4. An artificial tooth comprising an integral porcelain body, a root and a lingual overhang portion, two bearing faces on the occlusal end of the overhang portion in different horizontal planes extending at substantially right angles to the long axis of the tooth, a mortise intersecting the overhang portion between said faces and extending labially into the body, and a bearing face extending from one of said surfaces to the other and disposed in the direction of the long axis of the tooth.

5. An artificial tooth comprising an integral body, a root and a lingual overhang portion, two bearing faces on the occlusal end of the overhang portion in different horizontal planes extending at substantially right angles to the long axis of the tooth, a mortise intersecting the overhang portion between said faces and extending labially into the body, and a bearing face extending from one of said surfaces to the other and disposed in the direction of the long axis of the tooth, and a backing having bearing surfaces complemental to the bearing surfaces of the tooth structure.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LAFAYETTE D. PICKERING. 

